Huon Valley man hospitalised after contracting meningococcal disease
A man in his 60s has been diagnosed with meningococcal disease — the first case in the state this year.
Tasmania
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A MAN in his 60s has been diagnosed with the potentially deadly meningococcal disease — the first case in the state for the year.
Public Health Services clinical director Faline Howes said the man from the Huon Valley is in the Royal Hobart Hospital recovering from the meningococcal W strain of the disease.
“Public Health Services have completed the public health response to this case,” she said.
“This included identifying, assessing and managing the patient’s close household-like contacts.
“The patient has recently spent time interstate and it is possible he contracted the disease while away.”
Dr Fowes said the state-funded meningococcal ACWY vaccine was available from GPs for those aged between six weeks and 20 years of age.
Meningococcal vaccine is also funded under the National Immunisation Program for infants turning 12 months old.
And from April, vaccine will be offered to those in Year 10 through the school-based immunisation program.
In the second half of last year, there were 10 recorded cases of meningococcal in the state. There were five cases of W strain — including the death of 16-year-old Sarah Rose Beltz in July — one case of Y strain and four cases of B strain.
Seven of the cases were in the South, two in the North and one in the North-West.
The coroner investigating the death of Ms Beltz recommended the state’s free vaccination program be extended to include meningococcal B.
Coroner Simon Cooper recommended all eligible Tasmanians receive the free vaccine against meningococcal strains A, C, W and Y, and that the program be extended to include protection against meningococcal B.
About 96,000 people had received the free immunisation as of February.
On average, Tasmania has about six cases of meningococcal disease annually.
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